Shaikingun
Shaikingun The Shaikingun (pronounced Shai-kin-gun) were an order of warriors trained in theft and assassination. They were feared by the inhabitants of their world, KiaoXin. They were very secretive, with almost no outsiders having any knowledge of them, other than that they were a force not to be tangle with. Ranks The Shaikingun had several ranks within their order: Wills The Wills were the lowest rank of Shaikingun. They were used mostly as soldiers if the Shaikngun went into battle with another powerful group. They were trained in large groups, with up to 30 Wills learning under a master. They rarely went on individual missions. They were also the most maligned. They had no privileges, and were often treated cruelly. Forces The Forces were higher than the Wills. They were trained in pairs, with two Forces learning under one master. They were trained in one on one combat and fighting multiple opponents. They frequently went on individual missions for the Shaikingun. Forces had some privileges, with basic needs, such as food, drink, clothing and housing fulfilled, however, they were treated very roughly, to mold them into fighters. Powers Powers were an elite. Few Shaikingun warriors made it to the rank of Power. The Powers were exceptional fighters, capable of all forms of combat with ease. Powers frequently entered one on one training, with one Power learning under a higher ranking Shaikingun. The Powers had most clan privileges, even access to private meetings. They were not frequently used, as few targets or enemies were strong enough to require the skill of a Power. Dokai The Dokai were masters of fighting, capable of intense battle with one or many opponents. Dokai were responsible for training Powers and Forces. The Dokai were also tacticians, planning strategy for battles. They were highly regarded and treated with immense respect. Dokai were almost never used in field missions, unless the enemy was very powerful. Kodanak The Kodanak were the highest rank of Shaikingun. Their prowess was legendary, to the point of almost being mythical. Kodanak rarely appeared with lower ranks. They were almost a separate order of their own. They were treated with awe whenever they came to the less powerful Shaikingun. The Kodanak were never used in field missions. They had completely mastered all aspects of the Shaikingun. They also learned mystical arts. They frequently sported tattoos to show their rank. Philosophy The Shaikingun philosophy said that every being has an inner darkness, and that darkness was power. The goal of a Shaikingun was to master that darkness, and channel its power. This was done with elimination of any positive emotions such as happiness, compassion, empathy and understanding. The only emotion that was important that was not completely negative was Calm. It was important to keep a calm in the heat of a battle. Powers Shaikingun abilities were mostly those that offered domination over one's enemy. These included the ability to control another's mind, to mentally assault another and to achieve power over an enemy by controlling their needs. Weaknesses The Shaikingun teachings did have weaknesses. Devotion to darkness made it easier for a Shaikingun to be caught off guard by benevolent power. Also, Shaikingun could dominate someone, but they could not truly earn their allegiance by choice. This made it possible for a victim to rebel against their oppressor. Also, Shaikingun could not develop bonds, thus they were frequently surprised by how far another would go to help someone they shared a bond with History The Shaikingun were founded by a Dark Sage. This Sage found young followers who had encountered misfortune in their lives and trained them in the ways of the Shaikingun . These followers formed their own groups, until the Shaikingun had increased in numbers. Then, the Sage unified these groups. The Shaikingun were a terrifying power, until the Kaigon was formed. The Shaikingun tried to bring down the Kaigon shortly after it began, starting the Chaos War. After many long battles, the Kaigon prevailed and the Shaikingun were forced into a distant corner of KiaoXin, where they bided their time, training more Warriors. Eventually, they attacked the Kaigon with a much stronger force. The Second Chaos War lasted for many long ages, but the Kaigon survived. The Shaikingun summoned the aid of a powerful evil, using magic known only to the Kodanak. The evil being was unleashed on the Kaigon, and the Shaikingun might have emerged victorious, had it not been for the efforts of Sathu Zankai, a powerful Kaigon warrior. Master Zankai put the source of the evil to rest. Weapons The Shaikingun discovered deposits of a metal that could withstand dark energy inside the mountains of KiaoXin. They called the metal "Ombrani". The Shaikingun experimented forging blades with this dark substance. They impowered the blades with dark power, until they sparked and smoked with the energy. They called these weapons Darkswords.